The present invention is directed to a single point watering system having a bracket for attachment to the battery casing and a clamp for securing the inlet fitting to the underside of the bracket with the inlet fitting disposed for ready connection to an external refill system.
Electrically powered vehicles such as forklift trucks and pallet jacks are extensively used in warehouses for moving materials about the warehouse. Such electrically powered vehicles are generally provided with a plurality of large multi-cell batteries which are often stacked 3 or 4 high on the vehicle. Such batteries normally require weekly maintenance which involves watering all of the cells of the battery. Such maintenance can be very time consuming in view of the large number of battery powered vehicles in an average sized warehouse.
Normally, the battery must be pulled from the truck if the battery is not equipped with a single point watering system. Even batteries equipped with a single point watering system must be manually moved out slightly in order to enable the single point watering tubing to be unfolded for connection to a supply source. Single point watering systems for batteries are old and well known and are usually comprised of a continuous length tube with cell connectors periodically inserted therein for connection to each cell of the battery. Each cell connector usually includes a built in filter and a level sensing mechanism for automatically stopping the flow of water to the cell when the water reaches the desired level in the cell. One end of the tube is provided with a quick release snap-on connector for connecting the single point watering system to a transportable water supply system. Generally, the end of the tubing having the quick release connector thereon is folded over the top of the cells within the battery case when not in use. Such folding and unfolding of the tubing can frequently lead to damage of the tubing. Additionally, the free end of the tubing can fall outside of the casing where it is susceptible to damage upon contact with objects during the travel of the vehicle about the warehouse.
Other types of battery filling devices utilize complicated built in arrangements where in the fluid passages are formed in each cell cover and mate with the fluid passages in adjacent cell covers to provide a continuous flow of water to each battery cell. Inlet and outlet fittings are secured in recesses in the handles of the battery casing. Such a battery filling arrangement is very complicated and expensive inasmuch as each of the cell covers has to be custom molded with the necessary passages and the alignment of the passages for adjacent cell covers is often difficult to achieve. Watering systems of this type are disclosed in the U.S. Patents to Van Meter Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 1,996,843) and Ihlenburg (U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,793).